The Outcomes from the Mandated Mediation

The Outcomes from the Mandated Mediation

Rocky View 2020 supports Rocky View County’s decision not to participate in the Calgary Regional Partnership or the Calgary Metropolitan Plan without changes to the voting structure to be used for critical decisions. Rocky View 2020 generally supports the Calgary Regional Partnership moving forward to the benefit of all participants and for this to occur there must be an accommodation of Rocky View County’s unique position within the partnership and allow for a greater degree of autonomy for the County. Within the Calgary Regional Partnership the County of Rocky View has substantially different attributes than any other Municipality or County in the Partnership. The Rocky View County governs the single largest land area in the partnership by far. Rocky View’s land area is six times larger than the City of Calgary. It is larger than any other County included in the Calgary Region and larger than all the other smaller municipalities. The fact that Rocky View County governs the largest portion of land in the Calgary Region warrants unique considerations within the Calgary Metropolitan Plan. The landowners who pay their taxes to Rocky View County are democratically represented by the Councilors elected to the Rocky View Council, not by the City of Calgary.

For the proponents of the Calgary Metropolitan Plan to present in the rationale section (pages 10 to 11 of the mediation document) that their approach to regional decision-making is legitimized by democratic representation is a significant distortion of true respect for democratic process and landowner rights. In short the City of Calgary is in support of a process that ensures that they will have control over the governance and growth related activities in the largest landmass (Rocky View County) that is not within the City of Calgary’s municipal jurisdiction. The democratic rights and representation of taxpayers in Rocky View is done by their Councillors on the Rocky View County Council. To suggest that the Calgary Metropolitan Plan is somehow legitimized through a democratic argument that effectively usurps the democratic representation of Rocky View County landowners is at a minimum, misguided.

Rocky View Council and Administration have made a number of concessions in order to support the Calgary Regional Partnership process. It is evident that Rocky View County has supported the themes of sustainable growth and environmental stewardship within the Calgary Regional Partnership documentation. But if the Provincial Government forces through the Calgary Metropolitan Plan based on this recent mediation it effectively becomes de facto annexation of control of Rocky View’s future. Thankfully Rocky View County Council has recognized this and has determined not to participate without changes to the plan.

Rocky View 2020 is hopeful that the Calgary Regional Partnership, that guides the legal structure of the Calgary Metropolitan Plan, will accept the unique aspects of Rocky View County and make the appropriate accommodations that would allow for the County to participate as an active partner in the Calgary Region.